Relative Concentrations of Amino Acids in the Exoskeleton of Male and Female Neopetrolisthes Maculatus

Abstract

Amino acid levels in the exoskeleton of the heterosexual samples of Neopetrolisthes maculatus were evaluated. Twenty parameters were reported on; 13 of these values were greater in the female than the male (i.e. 13/20 or 65.0%). Values in female > male were observed in Val, Thr, Lys, Met, Phe, Trp, Gly, Ala, Asp, Arg, Cys, total amino acids and protein. The variations between the male and female amino acid values were low having coefficient of variation percent range of 0.0579-16.9. The amino acid levels were significantly different between the heterosexuals at r=0.01. Limiting amino acids on the various scoring standards were egg (Cys=0.3172 and 0.3511), provisional essential amino acid scoring pattern (Lys = 0.4145 and 0.4746), preschool child requirements (Lys =0.3930 and 0.4501) and all the three scores were significantly different at r=0.01. The EAAI1 (compared to soybean) were 1.18 (male) and 1.16 (female), EAAI2 (compared to egg) were 88.5 (male) and 88.3 (female); their corresponding BV were 84.7 and 84.5. P-PER1 range was 1.86 (male) - 1.24 (female) and P-PER2 range was 2.02 (male) - 1.41 (female). Total EAA was 37.7g/100g protein (male) and 37.0g/100g protein (female). In the estimates of amino acid requirements of school boys at ages 10-12years (mg/kg/day), male exoskeleton would provide more than the requirement in Phe + Tyr (186%), Trp (25.8%) and Val (48.1%) whereas in female the following were higher than the standards: Phe + Tyr (218%), Thr (8.86%), Trp (35.0%), Val (61.6%) and TEAAs (4.01%)